The age-reducing potion
by Trinity Black
Summary: Maybe a little romance later too but not yet. Any way Black and Lupin go back to Hogwarts after the event of GoF with the aid of a potion. Madness ensues. PG for now but it may change later. Chapter 4 now up
1. The potion

A/N: This is my first Harry Potter fic. You know I don't own Harry Potter, he belongs to the great J.K Rowling. Please R/R.  
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
    "All we've got to add now is the bat wing and then we're done," Hermione told the others.  
  
    "Are you sure you've done this right?" Harry asked still worried about what they were about to do.  
  
    "I'm sure, plus I didn't do it by myself, I had a bit of help." She replied angry that they were questioning her potion making ability.  
  
    "Who off?" Ron asked.  
  
    "Me of course," came Sirius Black's voice from the corner of the room, "I'm not taking any potion if I'm not sure that it's right."  
  
    "Are you sure you want to do this?" Harry asked.  
  
    "Yes I'm sure, I'm sick of you asking if I'm sure, don't forget that I'm doing this to keep you safe."  
  
    "I'm safe enough as it is, Dumbledore's here I don't need everyone watching me all the time." Harry argued knowing that it wouldn't do any good.  
  
    "I know he's here, he suggested that I do this as well you know. Besides it'll be fun." Harry knew he wasn't going to win and decided just to frown at Sirius' latest statement.  
  
     Suddenly from behind them a pop sounded and Hermione announced that the potion was ready. She took a beaker and poured a small amount of the gooey green liquid into it. Sirius reached out and took the beaker off her. He sniffed it and pulled a face.  
  
    "If it tastes as bad as it smells then I'm glad I only have to do this once." Sirius joked.  
  
    "No you don't you have to take 10mg every 24 hours otherwise it'll wear off." Hermione said eager to prove she had done everything properly, including research.  
  
     "I wouldn't mind if it wore off," Harry mumbled under his breath.  
  
    "I would." Sirius said. Harry noticed for the first time how serious Sirius was about doing this.  
  
    Sirius pinched his nose and swallowed the potion in one go. His body went rigid and it looked as though something had gone wrong. Even Hermione looked worried at what was happening to Sirius.  
  
     Their worried looks were replaced immediately when they found themselves staring into the face of a 15 year old Sirius Black. He was smiling too.  
  
     "I take it that it worked then." Sirius asked with a huge grin on his face.  
  
    "Yeah it did." Ron said amazed.  
  
   
  
   
  
    "Sirius, are you sure you want to this?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
    "If it's going to help Harry stay safe, I'll do anything." Sirius replied. Dumbledore knew the reply before he asked the question but he was offering Sirius a last chance to turn back.  
  
    "Fair enough, you know that  you can't turn back," Dumbledore stated and after receiving a nod in reply added, "The only ones that know are you, me, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Professor McGonagall  and,"  
  
    "Snape," Sirius finished for him in a loathsome voice. Dumbledore smiled at the way the grudge was still alive after all the years. "Why did he have to know anyway?"  
  
    "Because Severus would recognise you from your school days and he would recognise the effects of the potion, there would be no point in not telling him."  
  
    Sirius sighed at this obviously true statement. He was starting to wonder if he was doing the right thing. What would happen if someone found him here. These thoughts were all pushed from his mind when he heard all the other students milling into the hall. He nodded to Dumbledore, who walked out of the hall with his blue robes billowing behind him. Sirius could hear him addressing the school through the curtains.  
  
    The next thing he saw was all the first years coming into the hall after they had crossed the lake with Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper. McGonagall started the sorting ceremony, Sirius noticed that they seemed to be a few more students this year. It didn't matter to him, they were just all students to play tricks on. Finally he heard Dumbledore announce that there were two other students to sort both of whom were going to be entering 5th year. Sirius found himself wondering who the other new student was he was also worrying about where the sorting hat would place him. If he wasn't in Gryffindor the whole thing would be pointless, he wouldn't be able to watch Harry.  
  
    "Sirius Travesura," McGonagall announced. He'd thought of the name himself, it meant mischief in Spanish. He walked up to the stool, sat down and placed the hat on his head.  
  
    "It seems I made a good choice before," the hat said as it spoke into his ear, "Your friend was the same as well. GRYFFINDOR" the hat announced to the hall. Sirius began to walk over to the Gryffindor table, puzzled by the hats statement about his friend. He remembered what it was like the first time he did this. There were no other first years sorted so far and he was unsure on where to sit. He sat near the head of the table and was soon joined by the people who would become his best friends; Remus Lupin or Moony; the two faced rat Peter Pettigrew or Wormtail and his best friend, his partner in crime, James Potter or Prongs. They didn't know it then, but for the next 7 years the 4 of them would be almost inseparable and they would sit at the head of the table everyday. He looked towards the head of the table and saw Harry, Ron, Hermione and Remus sat there. Remus? What was he doing there? Why had he taken the potion too? He went up to the table and sat down. He threw Remus a questioning look.  
  
    "I'll explain later," he said.  
  
    "How did you know you'd get in Gryffindor?" Harry asked.  
  
    "That was the only part of the plan which could fail," Sirius responded, "He told you what he's doing here?"  
  
    "No and he won't tell Ron or Hermione either," Harry answered.  
  
    "If he's got a plan, we'll find it out when he wants us to, or when I make him talk." Sirius told his Godson, "For now we eat." Then he started eating some of the grand buffet in front of him. There was chicken, beef, Yorkshire pudding, bacon, eggs and everything else that you could have wanted. Desserts included chocolate moose, jelly, ice cream and apple pie.  
  
    After stuffing themselves with as much as they could eat they headed up to Gryffindor tower, ready for lessons the next day.  
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
    "Sleep well?" Lupin asked on the way to breakfast the next morning.  
  
    "Yeah, better than I have in a long time." Black replied, "What are you doing here?"  
  
    The reply he got was, "What's it got to do with you?"  
  
    "Nothing I was just being nosy."  
  
    "As usual."  
  
   
  
    When they got to the great hall there was hardly anyone else there. This was probably because it was half past 6 in the morning and everyone else was still in bed.  
  
    "Why did we get up at this time anyway?" Lupin asked.  
  
    "I was awake and I got up. You just followed me."  
  
The pair sat down at the Gryffindor table and talked about nothing in particular until the others showed up.  
  
    "We were wondering where you two had gone for a while." Hermione told them.  
  
    "It's the morning, we were hungry, we went to breakfast, I think it's a bit obvious where we had gone." was the answer that Lupin gave them annoyed that they had to be under supervision.  
  
    "Have we got the new timetables yet?" Hermione asked eager to change the subject.  
  
    "No not everyone is here yet," Sirius answered.  
  
The roof of the sky opened up and hundreds of owls flew in through the roof. Three alone went to Neville carrying various things which he had forgotten to bring, which for the first time included his wand. Harry received a note from Hagrid asking him if he, Ron and Hermione wanted to go and see him. Harry gave Hedwig a reply saying that they would and sent her back to Hagrid. But not before she stole some of Harry's toast and give him an affectionate nibble on the ear.  
  
    Ten minutes later nearly all of the students were at breakfast and the teachers began to hand out their timetables.  
  
    McGonagall paused at Black and Lupin and told them that they had to pick their extra subjects before tomorrow. Just after McGonagall left Harry took a look at his timetable and groaned. Not only have we still got Potions and Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins we've also got Herbology with them and not the Hufflepuffs.  
  
     "That'll be great fun," Ron said in his most sarcastic voice.  
  
    "It will won't it," Black agreed with a thoughtful look on his face. Ron looked at him wondering what he was thinking. He was going to ask but he was interrupted by Dumbledore.  
  
    "As many of you will have noticed there is no new member off staff present to take Defence Against the Dark Arts. The teacher appointed for the position is dealing with important matters abroad and will not be present for two weeks. Your lessons shall be used as you see fit until then." Dumbledore announced to the school, "All other lessons will start as normal. May I remind everyone that the school rules haven't changed since last year. Mr Filch also wishes me to tell you that Singing Shoes have been added to the list of banned objects, the full list of which some of you should read. His words not mine, he added as though he thought the list was in large a bad idea.  
  
    "That is all please proceed to your first lesson," he finished.  
  
All of a sudden all the students in the hall got up and began to make their way to lessons.  
  
    The Gryffindors first lesson was Transfiguration and they made their way up to the classroom. On the way up they were following some first years. One of the first years got stuck in the vanishing step and Sirius helped her out.  
  
    "Thanks," she said.  
  
    "It's fine," Black replied  
  
    "Hi, I'm Trinity Hope" the first year told Black.  
  
    "Sirius," he told her. Trinity carried on down the corridor towards Charms and Sirius carried on towards Transfiguration. All the time he was thinking about Trinity and he suddenly had a greater idea of why Remus had come back.  
  
    Transfiguration itself was boring they were working on transfiguring a mouse into a ferret. Next lesson they would be doing the theory behind it and McGonagall had advised them to read up on it.  
  
    Next they would have had Defence against the Dark Arts so Black and Lupin took the opportunity of a free lesson to sneak into Hogsmeade and visit Zonkos to stock up on tricks before the first Potions lesson in the afternoon. Harry, Ron and Hermione chose to miss the trip and relax by the lake.  
  
    "Why did we have to have potions on the first day?" Ron asked, "Do you think that the whole world hates us?"  
  
    "No the whole world doesn't hate us, just Snape," Harry replied in a sarcastic tone. 


	2. Time for Potions class

A/N: Didn't mention this in the first chapter but this has been posted before under my other screen name so if you recognise it I'm sorry but its not plagiarism.  
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
Black and Lupin emerged from the tunnel under Honeydukes. They were here on a mission to get tricks to annoy Snape. Lupin stuck his head through the trapdoor, "Come on it's clear" he said motioning to Sirius to follow him. The pair snuck out of the trapdoor and headed out towards Zonko's.  
  
"What are we going to get anyway?" Lupin asked.  
  
"I don't know yet but it will come to us when we get there. I wish we'd have had more time to plan for this." Sirius said.  
  
   
  
Back at Hogwarts Harry Ron and Hermione were heading off to their Potions lesson. Sirius and Lupin hadn't returned yet. "Can you imagine Snape's face if they are late for his lesson." Hermione asked.  
  
Ron and Harry were doing just this and they burst out in a fit of giggles. They took their seats inside the class and waited for Snape. He came and Black and Lupin still hadn't arrived.  
  
Two minutes later they slipped in through the door and a second later the bell rung. Snape who was obviously looking for an excuse to give them detention wore his familiar loathing look.  
  
On the other side of the classroom Malfoy was wondering how he could stir trouble with the newest members of Gryffindor . he whispered something to Crabbe and Goyle while Snape was calling the register. Black had already taken his godson's dislike for Malfoy and had named him as their victim.  
  
The lesson started and it turned out that they were studying different kinds of appearance changing potions for the next term. The first potion was a fairly 'easy' one which could make people grow extra hair or change hair colour depending on the amount of  seaweed in the potion.  
  
Neville had already decided that his potion would probably have disastrous results and had warned Black and Lupin about this. The reply they gave had been a strange one to Neville, "It doesn't matter nobody will have time to make any potions."  
  
Harry and Ron knew what they were talking about and were looking forward to the trick even tough they didn't know what it was.  
  
Snape had written the ingredients to the potion on the board and the class got down to work.  
  
Black dipped a rubber chicken that they had bought in Zonko's into the potion. It became covered with hair. He then muttered a couple of words under his breath and the chicken sprang to life. It ran around the classroom shrieking and many of the classmates were unable to retain their laughter. Lupin picked up a stone they had brought into the classroom with them and threw it into Malfoy's cauldron. The potion splashed all over many of the Slytherins and soon they were covered with hair down to the ground. The chicken which had been running rampage around the classroom bumped into Snape causing him to go flying. He narrowly missed falling into Patsy Parkinson's cauldron and instead landed in a puddle of potion which rested on the floor of the dungeon. He stood up and the so far unscathed Gryffindors burst out laughing to see that Snape had grown a bright pink moustache.  
  
Snape marched out of the classroom and to the transfiguration classroom where McGonagall was teaching a group of first years how to change matches into needles. None where having much success. When they saw the moustached Professor walk in the burst out laughing, even McGonagall had trouble stifling her giggles. When Snape told her the story of what had happened to his class she quickly dismissed her own class without giving them homework (There's a first time for everything) and went to see the rest of the class. By now some of the pupils had gone down to the medical room but some still remained. Malfoy was one of these and he had hair all over his body as he had been worse hit.  
  
The situation wasn't made any better by the fact that the first years who McGonagall had been teaching had found a group of seventh years (Who should have had defence against the dark arts) and brought them to witness the class.  
  
Two hours later after everything had been cleared up Black and Lupin were in Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Now I don't want to hear that it wasn't you because it was." He said calmly, "But I thought you would have been more mature than this."  
  
"It was a one off. Just to let everyone know we're back." Black said.  
  
"You can't honestly say you weren't expecting it." Lupin added.  
  
"Not really." Dumbledore replied, "You will have detention tomorrow night, and you will behave for the next week." Sirius and Remus looked shocked at this latest instruction. "It won't kill you. If you don't you will be facing expulsion."  
  
They left Dumbledore's office after promising they would behave.  
  
   
  
As it turned out they wouldn't have enough time to misbehave, the whole school was treating them like heroes for what they did and they were enjoying it.  
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
A/N: What do you think? Should I add more? You can email me if you like my address is TrinityHope8587@aol.com 


	3. Reason Revealed

Sirius and Remus were sat by the lake doing nothing. They should have had Defence against the Dark Arts but classes didn't start until next week. "What have we got next?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Charms," Remus replied. He was watching a group of first years having flying lessons.  
  
Sirius decided to act on a hunch he had had a couple of days ago, "I think she looks more like Melody you know."  
  
"She should, she's a girl." Remus replied, the realised what he had said, "Not that I know who you're going on about or that I'm scared by the fact you found out."  
  
"I met her when she got stuck on the stairs the other day. Trinity isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah. I've never met her you know. I didn't even know until 3 months ago when someone mentioned her to me. You can't tell anyone, not even Dumbledore."  
  
"I bet he knows anyway but I won't, does Mel know you know?"  
  
"I had to ask her, so yes."  
  
"What did you do just go up to her and ask 'Is that my daughter?' or were you more subtle."  
  
Remus sighed, "I wrote to her, I couldn't even face her but basically yeah that's what I said. I also asked why she didn't tell me but I didn't get a reply to that question."  
  
"Tough luck Moony but we better get going to Charms. We'll figure out something to do about the other thing later."  
  
"Yeah but remember not a word to any of the others."  
  
"I know. Don't worry, besides we've got a test next lesson to take your mind off this."  
  
"So that's what Hermione was twittering in my ear about this morning."  
  
"Must have been."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: I know that this was a short chapter but I'm going to try and put a new chapter up on this and my other story A Second Chance? Everyday so you wont have to wait long for the next bit, (if you want another chapter). Review and let me know or email me on TrinityHope8587@aol.com flames welcome. 


	4. A little talk

Two hours later the group of fifth year Gryffindor emerged from the Charms classroom looking exhausted, most of them did anyway. Hermione of course looked as though she had just been to another lesson. Already she had started questioning the group on the contents of their astronomy homework.  
  
"Hermione, we have got astronomy until midnight, between then and now I am planning to eat and sleep. I don't even want to think about my homework" Harry said to the bushy haired girl stood next to him.  
  
"Harry how can you sleep between now and astronomy tonight?" Hermione asked with a slightly puzzled look on her face.  
  
"Easy, we've got History of Magic next." Harry said, ignoring her disapproving look.  
  
After Hermione realised she wasn't going to get anywhere with Harry she turned to Sirius, "You're going to let him get away with this?"  
  
"I think I'm going to have to. I'm not staying awake in that class to check he doesn't go to sleep, it's not fair on me." Sirius said with a grin on his face.  
  
"Honestly," Hermione said, "You'd think that you didn't care about your owls." The boys didn't reply to that and they carried on walking towards the Great Hall, to their well deserved food.  
  
After a while in the common room playing exploding snap Hermione left the group of boys saying she was going for a walk. She went towards the great lake and sat under one of the huge trees which loomed over it. She sat undisturbed, deep in her thoughts for about an hour.  
  
"Mind if I sit here?" Sirius asked from behind the girl.  
  
"No, not at all," Hermione asked looking up at the youthful face of Harry's godfather, "Do you want me to leave?"  
  
"Why would I want you to do that?" Sirius asked his voice full of concern for the 15 year old.  
  
"I thought you might have come here to think about things. That's what I come here for a lot of the time." Hermione replied.  
  
"Yeah, I used to come here a lot to think about stuff but actually I came to talk to you. I mean you disappeared pretty quickly after tea."  
  
"I know, like I said I needed to think about some stuff."  
  
"You know, I think you think about things too much sometimes; take things a little too seriously. Know what I mean?" Sirius asked.  
  
"I suppose so, but this is something that I need to think about more than usual." Hermione replied quietly. "Can I ask you a question?"  
  
"I think you just did so I'm pretty sure you're capable of it." Sirius joked. Hermione smiled weakly, Sirius realised his joking wasn't getting him anywhere nearer to cheering up the teenager, "Go for it if you think it will help you."  
  
"Do you think I take things too seriously sometimes?" Hermione asked, "You know like schoolwork and homework."  
  
"I think you can do sometimes, but I also think you understand better than most what it can do for you." Sirius replied after only a moments thought. "It's not a bad thing if you're wondering; just you shouldn't try and force Harry and Ron to see things your way. They have their own way of dealing with it, that and they have things that they think are more important."  
  
"Thanks," Hermione said apparently pleased with Sirius answer. "I just want what's best for them in the end. They deserve good results."  
  
"They'll get them, but you have to let them get them for themselves." Sirius replied, "Anyway, it's not your job to worry. You should take your time and enjoy yourself." Sirius stopped and thought some more. He added, "But you shouldn't do anything illegal, it's naughty. I speak from experience."  
  
Hermione smiled again, "What were you coming to think about then? I'll see if I can help you, since you helped me."  
  
Sirius shook his head, "My thoughts, now there's a scary idea. No seriously not a lot, I was actually coming to check up on you."  
  
"You shouldn't have." Hermione said.  
  
"Whatever, but I still don't think you've cheered up much. This may be a huge stab in the dark; sorry if I'm wrong, but I think I know what's wrong." Hermione just looked at Sirius, not saying anything. He took this as a sign to continue, "Which one of them do you like; Harry or Ron?"  
  
Hermione looked at Sirius. He knew immediately he knew he had guessed correctly. Under her breath she said, "Ron."  
  
"I thought so. Want to know what I think?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Do I have a choice," Hermione asked with a hint of bitterness in her voice.  
  
"Yeah, I know that you might not want my advice. That's why I asked."  
  
"I do, but I'm scared of what you're going to say." Hermione said, "Why what do you think?"  
  
"I think he likes you too. The only think is that us men are quite useless and don't realise these things until it's too late." Sirius replied. "Luckily there are things you can do to make men notice these things."  
  
"Like what?" Hermione asked curiously, "I've been hinting at it for quite a while now."  
  
"Hinting, forget it. That will take years to sink in." Sirius replied, "I take it you don't want to walk right up to Ron and tell him."  
  
"I don't want to do that because that's probably when he's going to laugh at me the most."  
  
"He won't laugh at you. Although I can see why that might be a bad idea. Let me think about what you could do yeah. I'll tell you when I think of something. Until then you could carry on hinting, get him thinking about it."  
  
"Thanks Siri, you shouldn't have to do this for me." Hermione said gratefully.  
  
"Nonsense, it'll give me something to think about when I get bored in lessons."  
  
"You mean when you should be taking notes?" Hermione asked jokingly.  
  
"Yeah then," Sirius replied, "You got a problem with that?"  
  
"Nope, not me," Hermione replied. She looked at her watch, "Come on we'd better get inside to pick up our astronomy stuff."  
  
"Yeah, we probably should," Sirius said standing up. Sirius and Hermione walked back up to Gryffindor tower chatting about school work and who the new defence Against the Dark Arts teacher might be.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: I cannot believe how long this took. Oh well, can't do anything about that. Leave a review or email me at TrinityHope8587@aol.com and let me know what you think. 


End file.
